Forming molds for castings.



C. H. HOWARD.

FORMING MOLDS FOB. CASTINGS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1A9, 1909.

999,308, Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

UMBIA PLANOGlAl-H @0., WASHINGTON, D. C.

CLARENCE H. HOWARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FORMING MOLDS FOR CASTINGS.

Application lecl April 19, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Serial No. 490,759.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE H. How- ARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have inrented a new and useful Improved Method of Forming Molds for Castings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved method of forming sand molds for casting purposes, and has for its object to obtain a firm and well defined mold, and to economize time and labor.

My invention consists in the use of a bed of properly prepared sand or analogous molding material which is laid upon a table, floor, or other support, and above this bed is arranged within a suitable cylinder, a ram or plunger having the pattern of the desired casting aflixed to its bottom end and adapted therewith to be lowered and raised to and from the sand by any suitable power and combined mechanism.

On the ram being lowered the pattern is forced thereby into the sand and forms a matrix therein corresponding in shape to the pattern, against the various parts or members of which the sand is forced or packed by suitable means cooperating with the pattern, so that on raising the ram and withdrawing the pattern from the sand, a firm and well defined mold is obtained. @ver the mold thus formed is placed a cover piece of suitable material through which are formed the usual ingate and vent openings to and from the mold, which is then ready to receive the molten metal.

In carrying out my invention I do not limit myself to any particular means as various means may be designed for the purpose, such as shown on the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, whereon,

Figure 1, is a vertical section through a pattern with its holder attached to a preferably hollow cylindrical ram or plunger (broken away) arranged above a bed of molding sand in which a mold of the pattern is to be formed; Fig. 2, a similar view to Fig. l showing the pattern forced by the ram into the sand; Fig. 3, a similar view to Fig. l (omitting the pattern and its combined parts) showing the matrix or mold formed in the sand by the pattern, and the cover piece thereover, ready for receiving the molten metal, and Fig. 4, a horizontal section through the ram on line 4,4, in Fig. l, showing the pattern holder in top plan view.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

c represents a floor on which is laid a bed of properly prepared sand or analogous molding material b. Above the sand b at a suitable distance therefrom is a vertically arranged ram or plunger (broken away) c which is adapted to t within a cylinder forming part of preferably, an overhead traveling mechanism (not shown) of any ordinary well-known construction and operated by hydraulic, steam, pneumatic, electric, or other motive power for raising and lowering the ram c within its cylinder and for moving it horizontally in various directions according to the desired position of the mold to be formed in the sand b.

To the bottom end portion of the ram or plunger c is fixed by any suitable means, such as by a key l as shown, a head or holder CZ for the pattern from which it is desired to form a mold in the sand Z). The pattern e, which in the present case is shown as that of a car bolster center-plate having a rectangular base-plate 2, is affixed to the underside of the holder cl by any suitable means, such as by bolts 3 which are passed through the base-plate 2 and correspondingly shaped bottom member 4 of the holder d against the top of which they are clenched by nuts, the heads of the bolts 3 being countersunk in and flush with the underside of the base-plate 2 as shown.

From the holder cl, at preferably a suitable distance from the outer edges of the base-plate 2 of the pattern e, depend flanges 4 having their inner faces, which are opposite to the said edges and to the adjacent parts of the pattern e which depend from its base-plate 2, tapered outward from their junction with the underside of the holder el, the said parts being outwardly oppositely tapered to the said faces, and in like manner the other depending parts respectively, of the pattern e oppositely tapered, or wedge-wise.

In operation, on lowering the ram or plunger c, the pattern c is forced into the sand b (Fig. 2) which, owing to the tapered surfaces of the flanges 4 cooperating with the oppositely tapered surfaces of the various parts of the pattern e, is thereby consolidated and wedged or packed against the said parts so as to form a matrix or mold corresponding t-o the shape of the pattern e.

The ram or plunger c with the holder l and pattern e, being then raised, the latter is withdrawn from the mold e thus formed (Fig. 3) and a cover-plate or piece f having the usual ingate and vent openings 5, 5', respectively, laid over the mold e which is then ready for receiving the molten metal. Similarly with other patterns having different arrangements of parts or members, the above method of forming molds therefrom may be used with or without the use of cores as the case may be.

By my invention a series of communicating matrices or molds from the same or different patterns can be formed in the sand Z) at suitable intervals and the cast-ings therefrom made simultaneously.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent is l. The herein described method of forming a mold for casting without the use of a flask consisting in forcing a pattern of the desired form downward into a body of molding material. lying unconned on the ground or a flat surface until the entire pattern lies below the plane occupied by the top surface of the body of molding material and simultaneously forcing the entire body of molding material immediately adjacent the top and sides of the pattern toward said pattern.

2. The herein described method of forming a mold for casting without the use of a flask consisting in forcing a pattern of the desired form downward into a body of molding material lying `unconfined on the ground or a flat surface until the entire pattern lies below the plane occupied by the top surface of the body of molding material, simultaneously forcing the entire body of molding material immediately adjacent the top and sides of the pattern toward said pattern, then withdrawing the pattern from the molding material, and finally covering the mold cavity with a cover piece provided with an ingat-e.

I CLARENCE H. HOWARD.

VVitness/es:

C. T. VVESTLAKE, EDWARD W. FURRELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

